Toil And Trouble

by H. P. Mallory

  “Which is?” I paused for a brief moment, suspicion getting the better of me. Who knew what desires frequented his mind. The real question was, would I agree to anything?

  “I will train you and we will meet every night. But, in return, you will attempt to locate the prophetess each evening.”

  I narrowed my eyes. Why was Sinjin suddenly interested in the prophetess? Hmm, whenever I started to think Sinjin might actually possess a magnanimous bone in his body, something laced with selfishness always reared its ugly head.

  “I have no idea who she is or how to find her. I don’t even know if she is really a she and for that matter, I’m not even convinced there is a prophetess.”

  “You have psychic abilities, do you not, Love?”

  “Yes, but they are unreliable.”

  He nodded. “That is good enough for me.”

  “And if I’m not able to find the prophetess, what then?”

  “No harm done.”

  I eyed him, trying to solve the riddle of why he was interested in the possible existence of the prophetess. Of course he’d never admit his reasons to me but I wondered about them, all the same. “Did Varick put you up to this?”

  He shook his head and reached for my hands. His were ice cold and I fought to pull mine away. “It will be yours and my secret, agreed?” he asked.

  I nodded—what other option did I have? “Does this mean you’ll give me your blood?”

  He didn’t say anything but brought his wrist to his mouth and smiled with a great show of fangs. He bit into his wrist and didn’t even flinch. Dark blood trailed out of the wound and down his forearm.

  “Lick it,” he whispered.

  I pulled my hair back and grabbed his arm. “Will it turn me into one of you?”

  He chuckled. “No.”

  With my fingers wrapped around his wrist, I paused. Could I really do this? I mean, I barely ate red meat...

  “Look at me,” he said. “I want to watch you.”

  So, he was getting off on it—that was okay, I guessed. I kept my gaze fixed on his and licked the blood from his elbow. It was salty and metallic and horrible. I licked up his arm, trying to keep myself from gagging. He clamped his eyes shut and threw his head back as I licked the two fang marks.

  “Enough, Poppet,” he said and opened his eyes, pulling his arm away from me. His breathing was belabored. “How do you feel?”

  He brought his wrist to his mouth and licked the two open wounds. Instantly they closed up and the skin looked as good as new.

  I shrugged. “No different.”

  “Sit,” he said and motioned to the portable chair he’d been occupying before I interrupted his feeding with Candy.

  “I feel fine, Sinjin.”

  “You will need the chair, Love, just humor me.”

  I shrugged and took a seat.

  “You must never allow anyone to know what we have just done, do you understand?”

  “I promise, Sinjin. I’ll never say anything to anyone.”

  Hmm, there was something starting in my stomach—a fluttering like a million butterflies. “I feel something,” I started, pressing my palm to my belly.

  “Pain?”

  I shook my head. The fluttering of the butterflies was becoming stronger until it felt like an insistent buzzing from somewhere deep within me. I suddenly felt warm and…elation coursed through me, feeling like a warm breeze on a cold day.

  “I feel…amazing,” I said, a smile stealing my lips.

  “Tell me more, Pet,” Sinjin said, kneeling down in front of me.

  “It feels like,” I closed my eyes, trying to describe the feeling. “Like I’m flying.”

  Bliss enveloped me and I couldn’t help laughing. The butterflies clustered within me and when I opened my mouth to laugh again, they escaped on my breath, floating out of me in an array of colors. I gazed at them in awe. “Do you see the butterflies, Sinjin? They’re beautiful.”

  He chuckled and the sound was so infectious, I giggled with him.

  “You are hallucinating, Pet.”

  “You just can’t see them, Sinjin but they’re here, all over this tent.” I said, watching them as they swirled around the tent, settling on the fabric walls. I attempted to stand up, to walk over to them, but Sinjin’s hand on my knees stopped me. I relaxed back into the chair, noticing Sinjin’s hand as it moved up my thigh.

  “You feel so cold, Sinjin.”

  “Poppet,” Sinjin said and touched my chin. I glanced at his face and gasped; his eyes were ice blue and glowing.

  “Your eyes!” I said. “And you…you are beautiful, Sinjin.”

  “Thank you, Pet. Now focus, why have you sworn off men?”

  I shook my head, not wanting to focus on anything other than the ice blue of his eyes.

  “Answer me, Love,” he insisted.

  “Because my feelings are hurt,” I answered, just as an incredible orange and black butterfly landed on my hand. It beat its gossamer wings as if showing off for me, prancing along my arm, just as proud as any show dog.

  “Why are your feelings hurt?” Sinjin continued, stroking my hair. “Who hurt you?” His voice was laced with anger, possessiveness.

  “Rand,” I responded absently, admiring the beautiful Monarch as it reared up and spread its wings, clearly impressed with itself and showing off.

  “What did he do to you?” Sinjin demanded.

  “Nothing, that’s what the problem was,” I said, my voice sounding far away. “I wanted to have sex with him and he refused me.”

  At the mention of the word “sex”, Sinjin gripped my thigh tighter. “Why could he not do it, Love?”

  I shook my head, uninterested in the conversation. My little monarch had flown away, having grown bored with me and joined its brethren along the walls of the tent. Then, as if my little friend had whispered to them, they fluttered from the walls of the tent and surrounded me, their paper-thin wings tickling me. They were nothing short of wondrous.

  Sinjin tilted my chin, forcing me to look at him, instead of the butterflies. “Why would he not make love to you, Poppet?”

  “He was afraid we’d bond.”

  Suddenly, the butterflies scattered, having grown impatient with Sinjin’s questioning. Damn him!

  Sinjin stiffened beside me. “Are you and Rand bonded, Jolie?”

  But, I wasn’t concerned about bonding or not bonding. I was only focused on getting the butterflies to come back. “You scared the butterflies away. I don’t know where they went.”

  “Love, it is very important you tell me if you and Rand are bonded.”

  “Why does it matter so much?” I asked, annoyed.

  “Because if you are bonded, I should never have given you my blood and you should not be here now.”

  “We aren’t bonded,” I answered, still searching the tent for any sign of the butterflies but they’d disappeared just as quickly as they’d arrived.

  “Are you certain?”

  “Yes, he stopped before we had the chance to bond.”

  Sinjin nodded and offered me a relieved smile. “Good, I am happy to hear it.”

  I yawned and leaned back into the chair, snuggling against his hard chest and suddenly became dizzy. “Why do you care so much, Sinjin?”

  “If you and he are bonded, you and I can never be a possibility.”

  I laughed at the thought of Sinjin and I together although I couldn’t put my finger on why it was so funny. Instead, I tried to stop the room from spinning. “It’s funny sort of,” I said, gripping the chair as the room started settling back into place.

  “What, Pet?”

  “I can’t get laid. No matter how hard I try.” I covered my face as I giggled, finding the situation increasingly hysterical.

  “I would not have failed you,” he said, smiling and rubbing his hands up and down my thighs.

  I took off my jacket, throwing it on the ground as I reclined back into my seat. “Your blood makes me feel so good, Sinjin. Why didn�
��t you tell me it would make me feel like this?”

  “I did not know it would.”

  I glanced at him again and traced the outline of his face with my finger. “Do you think I’m attractive, Sinjin?”

  He nodded. “Beautiful.”

  I rested my palms against his chest. “And you would have had sex with me?”

  “Say the word,” he answered, gripping either side of my waist in his large hands. The cold of his touch penetrated through my sweatshirt and I shivered.

  “So, what’s wrong with Rand?”

  Sinjin sighed and dropped his hands from around my waist, as if the last thing he wanted to discuss was Rand. “Bonding involves a new set of rules, Poppet.” He paused, standing up as his attention fell to the ground. “You do not want to bond yourself, do you understand? It is dangerous.”

  I shook my head. “I’ve heard all that—I could die if something happens to him, blah! Do you know what I hate, Sinjin?”

  Another bout of happiness welled up within me and I had to close my eyes to keep it all in.

  “No, Poppet, tell me.”

  “I want more of your blood.”

  He chuckled. “You had enough, Love. Tell me what you hate.”

  “All the rules in this Underworld. Why are there so many rules?”

  “It is just our way,” he said and started for the mouth of the tent. “I must feed, Jolie, it is becoming too difficult to be near you when I am hungry.”

  I pulled up my shirt and bared my stomach. “Bite me, Sinjin, you gave me your blood so I’ll give you mine.”

  In an instant he was on top of me, gripping both sides of my waist as he leaned into me. He moved down the length of my body and brought his face to my stomach, inhaling as he rested his head against my skin and closed his eyes. “No, Poppet, I have just given you my blood. It would be a waste for me to take it back.”

  I closed my eyes against a bout of exhaustion that warred within me and ran my hand through his hair which was rabbit fur soft. The feel of his lips as he kissed my stomach tickled my skin and brought an aching need to the pit of my belly.

  “But you must feed?” I asked.

  He kissed my stomach again, his fingers massaging my sides. “Yes.”

  “Are you going back to Candy?”

  “Yes.”

  “Are you going to have sex with her?” I wasn’t sure why the question slipped from my mouth. I hadn’t even been considering it. But, once it was out, I realized how much I needed to know the answer. I opened my eyes and found Sinjin studying me intently.

  “Not if you request me not to.”

  “I don’t want you to,” I said and suddenly felt extremely tired again. I pushed him away and stood up, intent on starting the short trip back to Pelham Manor where I could crawl into my bed and give in to the incredible desire to sleep. “I have to lie down, Sinjin.” As soon as I took one step, my knees buckled and I collapsed. Sinjin caught me and gently laid me on a mattress in the corner of the tent.

  “What’s wrong with me?” I asked, fear lacing my voice.

  “Shh, my love, it is my blood bonding with yours. You will be fine.” He then craned his head out of the tent. “Dragos!” he yelled.

  Moments later a tall and light haired vampire materialized at the tent’s entrance and faced Sinjin expectantly. So, the Master Vampire had servants at his beck and call? Interesting...

  “I need to feed,” Sinjin informed the vampire. “Watch her and make certain no one enters this tent besides me.”

  “Yes,” Dragos answered. “Have you not fed on her?”

  Sinjin stood up so quickly, I never saw him move. He grabbed Dragos by the collar and levitated him.

  “Let no one touch her, do you understand? If she bears any marks or if she tells me you touched her, I will destroy you.”

  The younger vampire trembled. “I understand.”

  He let go and Dragos landed on both feet, seemingly no worse off after having been reprimanded in mid air.

  “I will return momentarily, once I finish supping on the human’s blood.”

  “I hope you enjoy your supper,” Dragos said, his neck bowed in subservience as he walked backwards, bowing all the while and disappeared outside the tent.

  Sinjin glanced at me and the fierceness of his expression bled into a warm and gentle smile. “I must leave you now, Love, but Dragos…”

  “Don’t leave me, Sinjin,” I said, amid a bout of yawns.

  “I must, Little Poppet, much though I do not want to.”

  “Wait,” I started, but Sinjin’s index finger against my lips silenced me.

  “Dragos will be your sentry while I am gone. You will be safe, my love.” He leaned down and kissed my lips while I nodded and instantly fell asleep.

  Eight

  Part one of my plan was complete—getting Sinjin to train and share his blood with me. Now it was time to put part two into motion—and it wasn’t like I had a lot of time left; the battle was just over a month away.

  It was six a.m. and the sun had started its ascent across the sky, dappling Pelham Manor in hues of warm yellow. As usual of late, I wore my jogging pants, a sports bra and a sweatshirt. My alibi in case Rand spotted me? A morning jog. But, exercise couldn’t have been further from my mind.

  I needed to visit the oldest and wisest of the fairies, Mathilda.

  My only problem with visiting Mathilda was that I didn’t have a clue how to find her. The only way into a fairy village was with a personal invitation and I definitely didn’t have one. Each of my previous meetings with Mathilda had been orchestrated by Rand. But, I had a plan up my sleeve. The distasteful part was that it included Odran.

  I jogged the two miles to my old abode, stopping over ten times to catch my breath like a three pack-a-day smoker. Arriving at the front door, I knocked a few times and then doubled over, straining to inhale more oxygen.

  When no one answered, I knocked again, this time with more urgency. I heard shuffling and someone bumping into something, followed by cursing before the door swung open to reveal an indignant King of the Fae.

  And he just happened to be as naked as the day he was born.

  “Lass,” he yawned and then frowned while he rubbed his sleep-swollen eyes. I didn’t have the chance to find amusement in the fact that even the most magical of the magical also succumb to morning face. Instead, I was doing my darndest not to look down.

  “Can you please cover yourself?” I pleaded, my head craned upward in an uncomfortable angle like a woman in a Picasso painting.

  I heard him chuckle and dared to glance back to find he’d magicked himself into a blue and purple kilt. His broad, impressive chest remained bare in all its glory but that I could handle.

  “Thanks,” I grumbled.

  “Lass,” Odran started, no doubt about to inquire as to why I was on his, er, my front doorstep at six a.m. His stomach muscles tightened as he leaned against the door, looking like God’s gift to women. Funny, but he did nothing for me. I was getting to know him too well.

  “I’m sorry to wake you up so early, Odran,” I interrupted. “It’s just that I need to visit Mathilda and I don’t know how to reach her.”

  He stifled a yawn and raked back his thigh legth, golden blond hair. “Ye what?”

  “Can I come in? It’s pretty cold out here,” I said, eyeing my home wistfully.

  “Aye,” Odran said, holding the door ajar just wide enough that I had to turn sideways to enter. Odran didn’t move, but smiled when I brushed up against him. I just rolled my eyes. Being in camp with a bunch of horny guys was wearing thin.

  As soon as I entered my little house, I wanted nothing more than to crawl into bed and go back to sleep. But that feeling fled when I peeked into my bedroom to find Odran’s two lovers naked and sprawled out on my comforter. Vo-mit. Note to self—Get a new bed and linens.

  I glanced back at Odran and shook my head at his smug smile.

  “Do ye want ta join us, Lass?” he asked with a mischievo
us sparkle in his eye.

  “No!” I said quickly. “I, uh, I’m fine, thanks.”

  The truth was, I’d never been more okay with my newly appointed abstinence.

  Odran plodded into the kitchen, sitting down at my kitchen table. He looked ridiculously large in the me-sized chair which he dwarfed. He waved at the empty chair next to him and I took the one across.

  “I need you to take me to Mathilda,” I blurted.

  Odran rubbed his chin and frowned. “An why do ye need me ta do this?”

  I had previously decided not to trust Odran but now I was left with no other option. I needed him to make my plan work but that didn’t mean I had to fill him in on the whys and hows of it. Either he wouldn’t keep my secret to himself or else he wouldn’t approve, either of which I couldn’t afford.

  “I can’t tell you.”

  He chuckled. “Why should I help ye, if ye willna tell me?”

  I’d already imagined this scenario a few hundred times and in my head, I was ready for his line of questioning. Now I just had to wait and see if Odran would go for the bait.

  I leaned my elbows on the table and stared directly into his eyes. “If you help me, I’ll grant you a favor.”

  “I doona need favors from ye, Lass. I am the King.” He sounded slightly disappointed, like he was hoping I had something better up my sleeves. Well, I’d prepared for this response too.

  “Think about it, Odran, I’d be obliged to you and you could collect any time for any reason.”

  He was quiet as he considered it, stroking his chin like Thinking Man. “An this favor…can it be anythin’?”

  I shook my head; I did have some caveats. “Nothing sexual,” I said, sliding a glance to the open doorway where I could see his two fairamours in my bedroom. “It seems you aren’t in need of sexual favors anyway.”

  “Ye fault me fer this, Lass?” he asked smiling. “I am King; is it ma fault women want ta lay with me?”

  I guess it wasn’t his fault but that didn’t mean I had to partake. “No, but I’m not one of them and I’m not on the table.”

  His shoulders drooped a bit as he pouted for sympathy, a ploy that did nothing but tick me off. “Give me a break, Odran, you get plenty of sex.”